


We are a Team

by angelic_writer



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-26 13:32:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15664203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelic_writer/pseuds/angelic_writer
Summary: It was supposed to be a prank.A little prank that they pulled on him.But, this one is where they go too far.When the life of their friend is in danger, they would have to change their ways in order to save him.A friendship fic about what would've happened if Chuck and Guy had been able to save Eric when he was strangled.





	1. Burning a Business

**Author's Note:**

> This is the alternate ending to Fazbear Fright by Cole Goodrich.

"Dude, are you sure we didn't go too far?"

"I'm sure, Guy. Eric knows how to take a joke!"

"But faking disappearances?"

"Okay, maybe he'll be a bit pissed... but it'll be perfect for setting him in the mood for the attraction!"

"I guess, Man... But was blocking the exits from the outside really necessary? I mean, what if there's, like, an emergency?"

"Like what? You know the whole 'faulty wiring' thing was just a joke."

"I know, Man, but I'm just worried."

"Just relax. It's 6 am and we're almost there. That's when we'll head inside and tell Eric everything."

"I guess you're right..."

Guy and I were silent for the rest of the car ride over to Fazbear's Fright. I began thinking about what he said, about taking the 'vanishing' prank too far. Sure, Eric can be gullible, but he knows how to take a joke. I'm sure he'll be fine.

We finally pulled up to the attraction and walked to the entrance, which had a metal bar across it, locking the door.

"The building's still in one piece." I told Guy in reassurance. He slowly nodded in response as he adjusted his shades.

I pulled the bar off and opened the door. My original plan was to call out to Eric in a weird voice from this end to freak him out. Instead, I gasped as I saw a familiar figure lying on his back with his eyes and mouth open... and wasn't moving.

"ERIC!" I screamed as I ran towards my friend.

I bent down next to him and shook him. His eyes remained open, his mouth remained open... and his chest wasn't rising. I put my fingers on his neck, desperately looking for a pulse. I felt mine rise when I couldn't find his.

"Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit!!!" I screamed as I stood up and turned towards Guy, who was staring at our friend with his jaw on the floor.

"He's not breathing!" I told him.

"What do you mean he's not breathing?!"

"I MEAN HE DOESN'T HAVE A DAMN PULSE!!!"

"What happened?!"

"I-I don't know!!!"

Eric's eyes were wide open, drool running down his chin, and he had hand marks on his neck. It looked like someone choked him.

My mind was racing as I tried to figure out what to do. I put my hands on Eric's chest, shaking as I tried to take deep breaths, trying to remember the CPR class I took when I was in high school. With my fingers interlocked and the heel of my hand on his sternum, I started compressing his chest, keeping my elbows straight as I saw Guy starting to shake from the corner of my eye.

As I continued compressing Eric's chest, he wasn't responding at all.

"Come on, Eric... Come on..." I muttered under my breath as I continued to compress his chest. Although, I couldn't stop myself from shaking. My heart was pounding in my ears and my fingers are tingling. I think I must have been hyperventilating.

I continued to compress his chest, my shaking turned more heavy. Small tears were forming in my eyes.

I then saw something from the corner of my eye. I looked and my eyes widened. At the end of the hall, standing high and mighty was the rabbit animatronic we found at the beginning of the week. Only now, it seemed to be missing its mask. And I could see a human skull mixed inside of its metal head.

"What's wrong, Man? Why'd you stop?!" Guy asked.

He then turned around and saw it too. He froze when he looked at the disturbing sight.

"What the...?" He whispered.

"I thought Cleo didn't fix it..." I whispered in response.

"Same here, Man... Let alone make it look terrifying!"

Suddenly, it slowly walked towards us, with its footsteps seeming to boom as it got closer.

"Dude... I don't like this!"

"Me neither!"

I then stopped. Something didn't smell right. And that's not an expression; something literally didn't smell right.

"Guy...?"

"...yeah, Chuck?"

"Do you... smell that?"

"You mean the sweaty smell? Sorry, Man, that's just me..."

"No, I'm talking about the... smokey smell."

I looked back towards the hallway and saw what looked like a small bit of light near the robot's leg. It took a second for me to realize what it was!

"It's on fire!" I gasped. "It's burning!"

"What?!"

The machine then stopped and looked down at itself, as if it could hear me... It then started swatting at the flame, trying to extinguish it. Unfortunately, all that happened was that the fire spread to his hand!

I might've been imagining things, but I think it started screaming! It was low-pitched and almost demonic, but it was definitely sounding like some sort of howl.

That's when I saw a spark from the fire fly off the robot... and onto one of the drawings! Seeing as how this paper was more than 30 years old... it's definitely dry and definitely flammable! The fire quickly built up and spread to the other drawings next to it!

"Oh shit!" I quickly picked up Eric, grunting as I did so and got him on my back. "Come on, Guy! We gotta get out of here!!"

Guy quickly nodded in response.

We all ran out the door and into the parking lot. I looked and saw Guy right behind me, closing the door behind him in the process. Normally, I would ask why, but it's fairly obvious he didn't want that Springtrap thing following us out.

"Why couldn't we have just installed a damn sprinkler system?!" I asked nobody in particular as I laid Eric back down and resumed CPR.

"Dude..."

I looked up and saw black smoke pouring out of the ventilation shafts up top. The fire was spreading fast... We made it out just in time!!

I looked back down at Eric, his eyes still empty and lifeless. I couldn't believe what was happening. Someone or something tried to kill Eric... and we're partially the reason why!! I continued to pump his chest frantically. I prayed that Eric might be still alive... Even if the odds of him still alive are abysmal, I held on to that slight bit of hope.

Guy then looked at me, his eyes sad and hopeless. He reached out his hand to touch me, but he held back. I guess he still has hope that Eric is still alive. I shut my eyes tight, putting more power into my hands to push on Eric's chest.

I remembered... when Guy and I first met Eric.

_"Happy birthday to you._

_Happy birthday to you._

_Happy birthday, dear Eric._

_Happy birthday to you."_

_I still remember the parents singing him the birthday song. Guy and I were sitting at the table Eric was at as he blew out the candles. Everyone was clapping and the cake was being served. Guy was the one who came up to him and talked to him._

_"Hey! Happy birthday!" He said, sporting his usual cheerful smile. I couldn't help but smile with him._

_"Aw, thanks." Eric said._

_"Okay, so I got you something." He said as he handed Eric a small bag. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."_

_Eric accepted the bag and opened it. In it was a Game Boy Pocket. I was surprised. I thought these things were sold out at our store a few days ago._

_"Oh, wow! Thanks! Where'd you get it?" Eric asked him._

_"Well, my parents and I were at the game store and I saw one of these. They were the last ones in stock, so I just had to get it for you!" Guy said._

_"Really? Thank you! You know, I always wanted my parents to buy me a Game Boy, but they were too busy preparing for my party. Thanks again for getting it for me."_

_"No problem."_

_I smiled at them._

_It was at that moment that we became friends with Eric. We all stayed in touch ever since the party. And, you all know the rest. The pizzeria shut down, we did our research, and we decided to make a horror attraction based on the rumors. But, there was one moment that I remember. One moment that made me realize what Guy and I had done._

_We were all hanging out at a motel, taking a break from building the attraction. It was about two weeks ago. A week before Eric started his shift. He was staring at the night sky, his arms resting on the rail of the balcony while Guy and I sat at the table inside the room. Eric then looked at me._

_"Hey. Can you promise me something?"_

_I looked at him. That question was directed at me. I had no idea what he was talking about._

_"Hm? Of course, Eric. Anything." I said._

_Eric took a deep breath. "Promise me... that when the attraction is a success... you guys won't change?" He asked._

_I was surprised. Where on earth did Eric come up with that idea?_

_Guy stood up. "Of course we won't, man! What makes you say that?"_

_Eric sighed and looked back at the sky. "I don't know. I guess... I'm just afraid. Afraid that the fame would get into your guy's heads and... might leave me."_

_I stood up, walked out of the room and put my hand on his shoulder. "Eric, we will never leave you. We're your friends and friends always stick by each other no matter what." I said._

_Eric looked at me and smiled a little. "Thanks, Chuck. And also..." He turned around to look at us. "Promise me that when it becomes a success, we will come back here?" He asked._

_Guy and I both nodded._

_"Of course! We'll do our best to make it the scariest horror attraction in the country!" Guy said with enthusiasm._

_Eric gave a chuckle. "Yep. We'll all work together. After all... We are a team, right?"_

_That line... How... How am I remembering this now? Why now of all times?_

_I nodded. "Yes. We are a team."_

After that, we all left the motel and went back home. And the rest... is history. Guy and I did the vanishing prank and we came back, planning to tell Eric everything. Instead... We got this.

"We... are a... team..." I quietly said. A few tears fell from my eyes and dripped on Eric's shirt.

He still wasn't responding. I don't know how long he had been out for, but... it couldn't have been 10 minutes. I was getting tired. I felt like... he was too far gone to be saved. I felt like we were too late.

No... No, I will not give up. Eric is my friend. I won't give up. Not like this!

I started to push harder. His ribs bent under the strain. Still, I kept pumping. Sweat was starting to form on my forehead and I was starting to feel out of breath. I didn't care, though. I'm not gonna let Eric die. I will not give up on him!

Guy took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Do you want me to take over?" He asked.

Without looking up at him, I absentmindedly nodded. "I-If you know what you're doing..." I said, wheezing. I stopped pressing on Eric's chest and shakily got up, allowing Guy to take over. He started copying what I was doing. Eric's ribs bent a lot more. Damn! He's a lot stronger than I was. I looked back at the building, the flames licking the walls.

"Well, this is perfect..." I murmured while I felt tears run down my face. "My friend is dying because he couldn't leave and the business we put so much into is on fire..." I started to pull my phone out of my pocket and called 911. I put the phone to my ear and waited for the dispatcher to respond. I was trying to hold back sobs as they picked up. I explained the situation and where the address is, trying to keep my voice calm. I was shaking so badly, the phone was slipping out of my hands. Still, I kept my grip on it.

I looked back at Guy still pumping Eric's chest frantically. I then saw him blow air into Eric's mouth. I was surprised. I never thought Guy would be brave enough to do something like that.

"Come on... Breathe, Eric... Please breathe!"

He pumped his chest again and blew a lung full of air into Eric. I prayed to God that Eric would come back. We can't afford to lose him! I... I don't know what I would do if he died.

"C'mon, man! I know you're still there! You got to come back to us! Please, we need you!"

By Guy's third breath, Eric still hasn't responded. It's clear that Guy needs help. And I'm the only person here. I rushed over to him, putting the phone on my shoulder so the dispatcher could still hear me and took Guy's position. I think I caught my breath at this point.

"Alright, I'll take care of the chest compressions! You give him mouth to mouth!" I said to him.

Guy nodded and got into position. I started pumping his chest again, me counting to thirty every time I did it. Every time I reached thirty, I commanded Guy to breathe into Eric's mouth and he did it without fail. He pinched Eric's nose shut and breathed into his mouth. By the time I got to the third cycle of compressions, I didn't even have to tell him to breathe. He knows now. He's learned. Eric's chest rises. We both lock eyes and wait.

Nothing.

I start the fourth cycle of compressions and by that point, I don't think I can stop. I don't think I can ever stop. The three of us have gone through all the trouble of building a business and relive our childhoods, only for our friend to get strangled by our biggest find and the building to be up in flames! But, at that point, it didn't matter. Eric is our top priority right now.

I got to thirty and Guy blew into Eric's mouth again. I stared intently at Eric like a vulture's eyes staring down at its prey. I was ready to start the fifth cycle. We were prepared to not stop until the medics arrived. The doctors will confirm if Eric will survive. Then, something happened that made us jump.

Eric suddenly closed his eyes and started to cough violently! My heart skipped a beat when we heard it!

"Eric! Oh thank God! Stay with us! Breathe!"

We both helped Eric up as he inhaled and exhaled heavily. Guy rubbed Eric's back as he gasped for air, rubbing his throat.

"That's it. Easy now. Just breathe in and breathe out. Slow and steady. There you go." I said in a soothing voice as I rubbed his hand.

Even though Eric was brought back to life, he was clearly not out of the woods yet. He still needed medical attention. And judging by the bruises, I could tell that there was massive damage done. He needed to be rushed to the ER quickly.

Eric tried to talk, but his voice came out in raspy gasps. But, I could tell that he was looking at us in confusion. I felt guilty. We shouldn't have done that prank in the first place.

"Shh. Don't try to talk. It'll be okay. We're gonna take you to the hospital. It'll be okay." Guy said to him.

Eric looked at him and nodded slowly. He rested his head on Guy's lap as he soothed him. All the while, he was struggling to take deep breaths. All the hair on my body was standing on end. We... actually did it. We prevented our best friend's death! It felt like I just stepped into a whole new world. I was shaking as the adrenaline rush from the event faded. I felt so... giddy in the aftermath! I found myself smiling. I actually couldn't believe it! I grabbed Eric's hand as I felt new tears form in my eyes. They were so warm. I could feel his beating pulse on my fingers. I couldn't feel anything a moment ago and now... His heart is beating again. He's breathing, he's warm... He's alive. I chuckled to myself. I felt like such a hero. Both me and Guy are heroes.

We then heard sirens in the distance. They're here...

The paramedics got to work getting Eric on the stretcher. They put a neck brace on him to prevent him from moving his neck around too much. I held his hand the whole time as they wheeled him to the ambulance. Then... I lost my grip on his hand. Eric looked at me and smiled. He was telling me that he was gonna be okay.

I fell to my knees on the asphalt and I broke down. I gripped my arms tightly as I bawled my eyes out. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing out of my eyes. I felt strong arms wrap around me tightly. I knew it was Guy. I hugged him tightly and sobbed into his shoulder as he comforted me. I heard the ambulance get further and further away until it was out of sight.


	2. Aftermath

"So to be clear, Mr. Cawthon," the officer concluded as he looked at his notebook, "you pretended to go missing for about a week when in actuality, you were staying at a motel?"

"Pretty much..." Guy replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"And Mr. Cameron, you decided it would be a good idea to block all of the exits in the establishment Mr. Jefferson was in?"

"I... suppose so."

"And you claim the fire started because of faulty wiring in an old animatronic robot?"

"We believe so, yes."

"Well, we still have a lot to look into about this whole thing. Stay in town until we can figure out what exactly happened."

"Of course, Officer."

He then tipped his hat and walked towards his car. I then slowly looked towards the attraction. I suppose it's a real relief that the outside miraculously survived. You honestly would never expect a giant fire occurred inside.

The fire department was still firing their hoses into the doorway, trying to extinguish whatever flames remained. Guy and I hadn't been allowed inside yet, but I'm not sure if I'd want to go in, anyway...

"Dude... We fucked up big time..." Guy said quietly.

"I know... But how were we supposed to know about that damn robot?!"

"We weren't, I suppose..."

I continued to stare at the building. All this money and time put into the business... wasted. We lost a lot of things in the span of an hour.

I then smiled. One thing was salvaged, though. Our best friend's life. I felt my eyes go hot again as I felt tears stream down my face. Guy noticed and immediately hugged me. I obliged without objections.

Geez, I must've been crying a lot today. If I kept this up, I would have cried a waterfall. But, for whatever reason I couldn't understand, I couldn't stop myself from sobbing. Although, they weren't from sadness... They were from joy. Joy that we managed to save our friend. Guy patted my head as I buried my face in his shoulder, soaking his shirt with my tears.

"Hey, Man... It's okay. Eric's gonna be okay. We'll go visit him later, okay?"

"O-Okay..." I mumbled as I took deep breaths. My throat feels scratchy and my mouth feels dry... I need some water.

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

I turned and saw what appeared to be the head firefighter walking toward us. Guy let go of me as I hurriedly wiped tears from my eyes.

"Y-Yes?" I replied.

"I have a short list of things that survived the fire." He told us as he pulled out a clipboard.

"What made it?" Guy asked.

"Well, as I said, it's a short one. All we found were a few bobble heads, an arcade cabinet and a white clown looking mask."

"Is that all?"

He nodded. "I think we should be done extinguishing the flames." He concluded as he looked back toward the building. "If you wish to head inside, you may."

"Thank you." I replied with a nod. He then gave a nod back and went to the firetruck.

"What do you say, man?" Guy asked. "Wanna look inside?"

"...Sure. Why not?"

We then went to the entrance and walked through the doorway. All we could see was black and gray everywhere. I shivered. I do not want to be reminded of the events again, but I have to. Guy remained quiet. I guess we're on the same boat.

I then walked along to the next hallway, where the only thing that wasn't black and crumbled was, as the fireman said, the Prize Puppet mask. A bit weird how THAT survived.

Finally, we got to the arcade, where all the other cabinets were nothing but collapsed metal and wire. However, the only cabinet remaining was at the far end. I recognized it as the newest one we found. The one that worked. The one that was... currently on?

I walked to it and looked at the screen. I could've sworn there were 3 games on this thing... so why do I see a 4th option called "Happiest Day"...?

I selected it and instantly found what looked like a small gray figure in some sort of party. There were tables in the background with a few people wearing what looked like animal masks. They didn't look like any characters from Freddy Fazbear's Pizza though.

I scrolled the character to the right a bit. It was still nothing but tables with people wearing masks. What the hell is going on with this thing?

Finally, I came across a table where there was only one person. It was gray, as well, and it looked... sad. Next to the table were four more gray people that were wearing masks, only these ones were recognizable; it was a bear, a bunny, a chicken and a fox.

I moved my character towards the table and towards the crying person. When it touched the table, though, the character stopped, and a giant cake appeared on the table.

Suddenly, the crying person seemed to open its eyes and look at the cake. Then, out of the blue, a mask appeared on its face. It looked like a bear as well, only a lighter shade of gray as the other one.

Then, all 6 gray figures disappeared, with colorful balloons replacing them and floating away. The only thing left of them besides that were their masks, which fell to the floor. The one that got my attention though, was the one that appeared in place of my character. It looked like a familiar white mask with purple stripes and a giant smile...

Suddenly, the cabinet sparked and shut off! I backed up and yelped when it did. I then looked at the machine. It looked like it was broken for good now.

"C'mon," I told Guy. "Let's keep going."

We then continued down the hall, looking at all the burnt artifacts along the way. All these things are irreplaceable. But then again... So does... human life. I thought back to what happened with Eric.

Even though he wasn't the bravest guy we met, he was something else entirely. He was nice and very forgiving of people. Even though he can be shy and a bit awkward sometimes, he was always there for us and was very happy. Why did something so horrible have to happen to a great guy like him?

Finally, we got to the office doorway and saw everything was charred except for the three figurines on the desk. It's truly devastating seeing all of this destruction.

We then walked outside through the exit and looked at each other.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Guy asked.

"I don't know... But more importantly, I really hope Eric is okay."

"Me too."

I then rubbed my eyes and shook my head. I can't imagine what Eric went through. Was he thinking about us while he was being attacked? Did he suspect that the blocked doors were our fault? Were his last seconds before he got strangled spent in anger for what we did? We won't know until he says it.

"Uh, Chuck?"

"What?"

"Do you see this?"

I opened my eyes and looked in front of me. I think I know what Guy was talking about: Five little kids who seemed to appear from out of nowhere.

The one in the center had blonde hair and freckles, and he seemed to be fixated on me and Guy. Then, a small smile emerged on his face.

"Don't worry," He told us. "We made sure he was safe." 

I stared in confusion at the kids. What was that supposed to mean?

"We thought all grown ups were bad," He continued. "But now we know they're all not. I want to say... You did a great job saving your friend."

If I didn't have more tears to shed, I certainly would have cried right then and there.

"I know you'll probably don't understand," He told me. "But you need to know... He'll forgive you."

"I know... He's a forgiving person... But he probably won't forgive what we did."

"Don't worry. He will."

Then, in the blink of an eye, they all disappeared. I kept blinking; they were still gone.

"You... saw that too, right?" Guy asked.

"Yeah..." I murmured.

I then looked up towards the sky. The sun was shining bright in my eyes as I stared. Was that child serious about Eric? That he'll forgive us...?

All I know for sure is that we still have a hell of a lot to go through. I just hope it goes as smoothly as possible.

But for now, we need to go visit Eric.

We all drove down to the hospital where Eric is. We talked to the doctor and he gave us the run down on his condition. He said that he needed to be on the neck brace to keep his neck from moving too much and that he needed to be kept on oxygen. They were still doing the scans on him to check for brain damage.

"Gentlemen," The doctor said. "I'll be honest with you, you two showed up just in time. If you had even been five minutes late, there's no guarantee your friend would have survived. You are very lucky."

"Thank you." Guy said. "But is he going to be okay?"

The doctor put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Right now, we know that he's stable. We're going to check and see if there is any permanent damage to his brain. I'm sorry I can't tell you more right now."

"It's okay. Thank you for telling us, though." I said.

The doctor nodded and went back to his office. Guy and I sat at the chairs in the waiting room. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. So, the waiting game begins. That's the most stressful part. We couldn't go see him right away. We had to wait until the doctors and nurses say it was okay to see him. Until then, it was just us and the other people in that room. I checked my phone.

15 text messages from Cleo.

I checked them one by one. The earliest one was sent at 7 am.

"I saw what happened on the news! Is Eric okay?!"

I scrolled through them until I got to the latest one.

"I'm coming over here right now."

I sighed. I really don't want to be bothered right now. All we want to do is just see Eric. We could talk to her later about this. My head is hurting...

I then heard the doors open. I looked up and saw a young woman with long, brown hair and purple eyes. She walked over to us and sat down next to me.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Hey..."

"So... How are you feeling?"

"Apart from the fact that my friend almost died, yeah. I'm feeling great."

Cleo looked away. It's obvious that what she's doing isn't helping.

Guy stepped in. "Don't worry about him. He's just really stressed out."

"I can see that..."

We were all silent for a moment.

"Listen, Chuck. Whatever happened at that attraction wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it is. We both blocked the doors, so Eric couldn't get out and so, he almost died. And it's all my fucking fault!"

Guy put his hand on my shoulder to calm me down, but I lightly shook him off.

"C-Chuck, I-I understand, but you need to calm down. I know what you did was harsh, but in the end, it was just a prank. Eric knows how to take a joke."

"Oh yeah? Well, there are times when the joke goes too far."

Cleo remained silent.

"You know, there was a time where I thought it would be funny; That it would be hilarious to see Eric's reaction if we just vanished. But, judging by what happened, it's not really a joke anymore, don't you think? That's more like the story of two dumbasses who got their friend killed just because of some stupid prank. But luckily, we got there in time. He almost died in that building, Cleo! If we had gotten there 5 minutes later, he would have been dead!!"

"C-Chuck, I-"

"Just... You just don't understand. You don't know Eric more than we do. We were just stupid adults trying to have fun. We just like scaring him and whatnot, but now... We know what kind of pranks we should not do. You didn't experience what we had experienced, therefore you do not understand our pain. You don't understand how I feel. You don't know the feeling of having your best friend almost die in front of you and having to resuscitate him with your own two hands!"

"Y-Yeah..." Guy added. "It's painful. We didn't know if he would live or not. Luckily, we knew. We knew what to do. Chuck kept his cool and we did what we have to do. We were both scared. We were both scared that we... accidentally killed him. But, luckily, he's in good hands now. But we won't be able to forget that. We won't forget it that easily."

Cleo looked down. "I'm sorry..."

I sighed. "Look, just... Just leave us alone."

"Fine. I'll... come by later, okay?"

And with that, she got up and walked out the door. I buried my face in my hands. Dammit! I'm such an idiot! How could I lash out at her like that?!

Guy started to rub my back. I lifted my face from my hands and looked at him.

"Guy, I'm sorry. I'm just... really stressed out about what happened."

"I know. If you want me to give you some space, I could."

"No, it's fine. Don't mind my outbursts that much."

Guy continued to rub my back. I... I don't understand that man. He's always there to comfort me whenever I have emotional outbursts. At first, they were few and far between. But, after what happened, I couldn't stop myself. I'm afraid that I might lash out at Guy just like I did to Cleo. But, he was very tolerant. Despite being laid back, he was very tolerant of me. I don't know what kind of meditation he did, but it sure helped him. I'm... thankful to him for that.

I pulled out my phone to check the time and that's when I noticed something. A notification on my calendar. I checked it and my jaw dropped.

Eric's birthday was 5 days ago. I mentally facepalmed. "Crap."

"What is it?"

"Guy... Eric turned 26 five days ago." I said quietly.

"...Oh."

We were both silent for a few minutes. All the while, I was thinking, I can't believe I missed my friend's birthday! I really am an idiot...

"Well... This is awkward." Guy said.

"Yep." I agreed.

Just then, a voice called out to us.

"Chuck Cameron and Guy Cawthon."

We both looked at each other. That's us. We got up and walked over to the hallway where we saw the nurse. She had long, brown hair tied into a bun and brown eyes.

"How is he?" I asked her.

The nurse looked at the clipboard. "He is in surprisingly good condition, given the circumstances. We're expecting a full recovery. But it will take time. We will not allow him to leave for at least a month." She said.

A month, huh? Well, it doesn't really matter as long as he's safe.

"Is it okay if we see him now?" I asked her.

"Sure. Take all the time you need. If anything happens, let us know."

"Thank you."

The nurse nodded to us and led us to his room. We both took a deep breath and opened the door.

Eric was laying in bed with a neck brace on him and he was connected to an EKG machine, his chest rising and falling to the rhythm of his breaths. It gave me relief. However, there was one thing that I noticed. He appeared to have a cast on his leg. Was this... also caused by the robot?

I sat down on the chair next to his bed and held his hand. He's just sleeping now, but I know he'll wake up. I kept thinking about what that blonde boy told me. I know I shouldn't doubt Eric, but there was no way he could forgive me for what we did.

Soon, his eyes fluttered open and he looked at me.

"...Chuck?" He weakly said to me.

"Yep. It's me. You okay?" I asked him.

"I guess. Ugh, my neck hurts like hell, though." He said, wincing.

I looked down. "Well, you did get strangled by a robot..."

"Eh, I'll live, I hope."

I just said nothing. I prepared myself for what he had to say.

"Chuck, I need to ask you something."

"Uh, sure... anything!"

"It's nothing big, it's just... why did you block the doors?"

"I... guess I don't have a good reason. I'm just a terrible person who played a terrible joke."

"...Chuck, you're not a terrible person."

"You almost died because of my idiotic decision! And on top of that, I forgot your birthday!"

"Huh? My birthday?"

"Don't act stupid, Eric."

"OHHHH, that's right! It WAS my birthday recently, wasn't it?"

"You mean... you forgot your own birthday?!"

"Heh, I guess I did. I was just focused on the attraction."

"Oh..."

"Chuck, there's something you need to know."

"What's that?"

"Well... I thought that there was no way you could have saved me, but... You did. Both you and Guy. So... Thank you."

"Hehe. You're welcome. And..." I sighed. "I... I'm really sorry, Eric. Really."

"It's alright. You couldn't have known what Springtrap was capable of."

"Still! I shouldn't have blocked the doors!"

"Well, admittedly, maybe you shouldn't have."

"I'm just lucky that you're here, Eric. I don't know what we would do if you died."

"Well, hey. At least we got an interesting story to tell!"

"I'm not sure that will be a story I'll enjoy telling."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"...Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry."

"It's Ok. I forgive you."

My heart started rapidly beating and I looked up at him.

"You... do?"

"Of course. Nobody has perfect friends and again, there's no way you could've known what would happen." He said, smiling.

I was speechless. I... I must've been dreaming. There's no way that he would... But, he did. There's no denying it. Eric forgave me despite my shitty actions. I looked down at my hands, my eyes watering up again. No... I must not cry. I mustn't! I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. It was Guy.

"Hey. It's okay. You can let it out. We're here for you."

I... I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started to sob as tears started to stream down my face again. Eric spread his arms out, asking for a hug. I did, being careful of the neck brace. I sobbed into his chest as he rubbed my back. Guy soon joined in on the hug. Soon, we were all in a group hug.

You know, despite all the stuff that happened, this is the happiest ending I could ever get. My friend is alive and we could be hailed as heroes. I then saw someone from the corner of my eye. I looked and saw the nurse. She just smiled and walked away, leaving us alone with Eric.

 


	3. Epilogue

I walked down the sidewalk to the hospital where Eric was staying at. I felt the cool summer wind on my skin as I closed my eyes.

It has been a month since the event that happened at the attraction. We have been interviewed by news stations and talk shows. They really wanted to know what really happened, especially since people wouldn't believe us. We tried to give them all the information we have, but it became especially easy when Eric got well enough to prove our story. Ever since then, I kept thinking about what Eric said to me in that hospital room. Those three words, "I forgive you." It felt really nice to me, but I didn't deserve it. I deserve some kind of punishment, but it felt like I was getting off scot-free. Regardless, after that day, I cried day in and day out. Not very manly of me, I know, but I think after a long time, I think I might have cried out completely.

"Hey Chuck."

I turned around and saw a familiar man walking towards me. He was tall, had short black hair, and a small black soul patch.

"Hey, Schmidt." I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd give him my get well wishes."

"I see."

We both continued walking down the path. I noticed that he was carrying a basket. I guess those are gifts from him and his sister.

"I can take it for you if you want."

"Oh, that would be great. Thank you." He said, giving me the basket. I looked inside and there were an assortment of cookies. Yep. Definitely his sister. Schmidt then looked away and smiled softly.

"You're lucky you get to save your friend... I wish I could've saved her."

He was whispering it softly, so I couldn't hear him.

"What was that?" I asked him.

"Ah, nothing! You should be here for Eric, okay? Tell him that I said hi!"

And with that, he walked away. I was confused. What did he mean by 'he could've saved her'? Was he talking about his friend? Those questions remained in my mind as I made it to the hospital.

I thanked the receptionist as he directed me to Eric's room. I walked into his room and noticed a lot of gifts on his nightstand. There were gifts from our co-workers, Cleo; there were even gifts from Ms. Roddington.

I put the basket down and looked at Eric. The bruises have almost completely healed at this point, but they were still visible.

"Hey, Eric!" I said to him. "How are you feeling?"

Eric smiled at me. "Hey. I'm feeling a lot better, thanks!" He looked at the basket next to me. "What is that?"

"Oh, Schmidt wanted me to give this to you. Apparently, his sister made cookies for you."

"Nice! Tell her I said thanks."

"Sure thing, buddy."

We all stayed silent for a while. I looked out the window. I still had this thought in my mind. Does Eric still think about that day? Does he remember what happened that night? Well, I might as well ask him.

"Hey, Eric."

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking... Do you still think about that night?"

Eric looked down at his hands. "Yeah. I do. I couldn't stop thinking about how Springtrap..." He subconsciously put a hand to his throat. I winced. I understand. None of us want to remember.

"Hey, Chuck? You want to hear something strange?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Well, while I was out, I saw the kids. One of them had blonde hair and freckles."

I see. So, it's just like what we saw.

"Not only that, I... saw Schmidt's friend."

"You saw Schmidt's friend?"

"Yeah."

My eyes were widened. How did he...? Wait... So Schmidt's friend was a dead girl?

"I didn't have much time to see them since you guys were trying to save me, but I did ask her the million dollar question. How did she get here?"

"Well, how DID she get here?"

Eric's face turned white. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"OK then."

"Chuck... Thanks again. I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am for you and Guy to save me. I know I've said this a lot, but still, thank you."

"You're welcome. We'd do anything to help you."

"Speaking of Guy, where is he anyway?"

"Oh, he said he'll be here in a few minutes."

"Okay."

Suddenly, Guy burst into the room, trying to catch his breath. He was holding a newspaper in his hand. The two of us jumped when we heard him.

"Guy?! What's going on?!" I asked him.

"Chuck! We have a problem, man!" Guy shouted.

"W-What is it?!" Eric asked him.

"You guys know that newspaper article that, like, talks about the attraction burning down?"

"Of course."

Guy handed the newspaper to me and we began reading.

**_"IT BURNS!_ **

**_Fazbear's Fright burns to the ground!"_ **

_**"A new local attraction based on an ancient pizzeria chain burnt down overnight.** _

_**Authorities have not ruled out foul play, but at this moment it seems to have been caused by faulty wiring.** _

_**Very little was found at the scene. The few items that were salvaged will be sold at public auction."** _

"What about it?" Eric asked Guy.

"I was looking at the image next to the article and... well..."

I looked at the picture in question and saw only a black and white image of the Freddy Fazbear figurine that managed to survive the fire.

"All I see is the Freddy." I replied.

"But, Dude... I swear I could see... Springtrap behind it!"

Eric's eyes widened as he gasped. He backed up to the frame of the hospital bed as he started shaking. He started to hyperventilate as well. "No... No... God, no... Please no..."

Guy noticed him and started to comfort him. I looked at the picture a bit closer. It was completely pitch black behind the figurine, so it was difficult to see anything.

"I think you're just seeing things," I replied. "You just need to get some rest."

"...Maybe... Alright, man, sorry about that."

"It's fine." I looked at Eric. "Are you okay?"

Eric took deep breaths. "Y-Yeah. I-I'm okay."

"Okay. Well, Guy and I have got to get going, so we'll see you tomorrow." The two of us started to get up.

"Wait." Eric suddenly said.

I looked at him. "What is it?"

"Um... Can I stay with you guys for a little bit? If that's okay with you."

We both looked at each other. We knew what he was talking about and it's no wonder Eric might be paranoid. No matter how hard the fire department looked, they couldn't find any sign of an animatronic anywhere. It's as if it was never there... What if it was following us and is planning to finish the job? We... We can't let Eric die. Not again. We can't lose him.

"Sure thing. You can stay as long as you want. It'll cost a little bit more, but I don't mind." I answered.

Eric looked at me and smiled. "Thank you. Once I get discharged, I'll pack my things and I'll head over there."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan."

And with that, the two of us left his room.

This had been an interesting week. We almost lost our friend, our business burnt down, and there's possibly a homicidal robot on the loose. I don't know what will happen to us, but as long as we stick together, I'm sure we will survive.

 


End file.
